Suggested soundtrack for this chapter: Heavy in Your Arms by Florence + The Machine
Chapter One
Bella’s POV
As I stared vacantly at the swiveling orbs of dust, dancing rainbows off into the window, I thought of how this had come to be. I tugged at the silky midnight cloak that cascaded down my slim body, and covered my dark veil of hair. It obscured my face if you glanced at me from the right perspective. But I wanted to bury my face. No one could see the weakness lying within it, threatening to protrude and prove of the pain inside me. I needed to be a woman in an iron mask. No hint to what I was thinking.
Aro, leader, creator, master of the Volturi, had vanished. A strange disappearance had transpired months ago, only a year after Aro spared Nessie, Edward, and my entire loved one’s lives from eternal extinction. He had abandoned his place here, sometime during the night. Nobody questioned him as he ghosted outside, outwardly forlorn, glaring at the cold stone of his realm with disgust for life. Who could have blamed him? After Sulpicia had been murdered by a shape-shifter, Aro went into a tremendous depression, never talking to anyone, except himself. Aro didn’t drink, even when his thirst had become unbearable, trying to starve his body because the Guard didn’t have the heart to kill him themselves.
So why did the Volturi Guard let him leave? “He’s thirsty.” They had inquired. “Let him hunt on his own, for once.” They had thought. But Aro on no account had intentions of coming back. It took the Volturi Guard all of two days to realize Aro would never return. Jane, master of the Guard, concocted the largest man hunt in history. Demetri tracked him for thousands of miles, following Aro’s brainwave as his gift allowed. Soon enough though, Aro’s trail had cut off randomly, in the
The sound of steady feet connecting with the solid, wintry ground broke me from my reverie. I continued in the same position, gazing up at the stunning dust orbs, as Edward’s strong hand touched my shoulder gently. It was then that I turned to face him, allowing Edward to see the agony in my eyes.
“Bella…”
Edward gathered me up in his arms and buried himself in my hair, murmuring apologies over and over in a whisper. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned against him, searching for composure, or some sense of peace. I found little.
“I’m so s-“ Edward began. “Don’t.” I pushed my index finger to his lips, hushing his words that would inevitably escape from his mouth again. I didn’t need to hear him say sorry, it was not his fault. It was no one’s fault but Marcus’s for what had transpired against our will, our freedom. I looked into his eyes and told him this was not his doing. That he wasn’t responsible for the black cloaks we wore now, or tearing me away from my baby, Renesmee, to join the Volturi. Marcus had taken over, made the Volturi his slaves. Marcus had changed the concrete rules of vampires, forcing anyone he coveted to join him, unlike Aro, who gave you a choice. Marcus had unleashed all vampires, destroying precious human life as they pleased, with no punishment. Even when they revealed themselves to humans, or drank a vast amount of blood in front of entire cities, there was no consequence.
Human lives began to diminish rapidly, and they ran as far as they could away from Volterra, once they knew of the existence of vampires. The Government couldn’t stop us, we were indestructible. Nothing they could do to penetrate our skin, harder than anything they would ever encounter, glimmering like crystal. What was left of Volterra –and all of
“Don’t say it is not my fault.” Edward closed his eyes and touched his forehead to mine, breathing out slowly, keeping the boiling anger sealed tight for the moment.
“How can it be?” I ran my fingers through his bronze hair, trying to soothe the thoughts I knew were springing inside his head persistently. Edward left that as a rhetorical question and let me free of his embrace, keeping my hand wrapped completely in his as he lead me down the hall at a human speed. We sauntered the passageway in stillness. Neither of us choking out a word as Edward opened the huge wooden door of the main Volturi hall. Together we slipped inside. We faced Marcus, now in Aro’s place of center throne.
“Edward,” He nodded, “Bella.”
An acidic shiver went up my spine as my attuned vampire senses picked up the menace in his raspy voice, however hard he struggled to mask it.
“Marcus.” Edward and I stated at once, in a monotone. Looking straight ahead, hand’s behind out backs in a respectful gesture. It was scarcely crowded in here; Marcus only kept Jane, Alec, and Renata at his side. Jane was at his right, seated in a throne and reveling in her new power as second in command. Alec dwelled in the left side throne, his chin high but arrogance not on the same level with his twin’s. Renata stood loyally behind Marcus, watching Edward and I through hooded eyes. Caius was no where to be seen.
“You both are wondering why I brought you here, now.” Marcus confirmed this matter-of-factly, his lips moving leisurely, his ancient chest swelling with deep breaths. How can he be so relaxed, so peaceful? The world outside of his haven was in peril, cities smoldering, people dying, murdering each other in panic and confusion for food and protection. Why was there an amused smirk on his egotistical face now?
I fumed inwardly, but kept my iron mask secured. Edward did the same, and we both waited for Marcus to say something. He sat there in his throne for ten minutes, studying our faces with limited interest. After another twenty two minutes, I risked a glance in Edward’s direction. I begged him with my eyes for him say something, anything at all. Edward ignored me, seeming to concentrate on something I couldn’t put a finger on. I produced my shield out of me easily and into his mind, letting him read my thoughts. Edward graced me with a glimpse of his black eyes, and I could read everything. Marcus was playing with us. We were merely toys on puppet strings he could dangle and exploit in any way he desired. Then suddenly, as if on cue, Marcus spoke a syllable just as Edward gasped quickly, reading his thoughts before I had time to listen.
“Demetri found Renesmee’s trail today.” Marcus spoke cockily.
I screamed within in terror. Our baby. Renesmee. No, no, no, no, no… she should be safe, with Jacob, her best friend. Renesmee was supposed to be protected with him. Why hadn’t
Grasping Edward’s hand with a strength only a forth year vampire could do, I awaited Marcus’s response, my mask intact as always. His smile grew ever wider, as if he were bearing magnificent news. He stood up from his throne, using his hands for support, but was graceful as any vampire ought to be.
“Aren’t you overflowing with joy?” He clapped his hands together in a way Aro used to do. His fake smile plastered on his face only made his words that much more menacing. “Renesmee will be with us all shortly. You can see your daughter again!” He beamed. Marcus was delighted with himself, Not for the reunion Edward and I would have with our child, but because he coveted Renesmee. Naturally, she being the only vampire-human hybrid in existence besides Nahuel, she would be on the top of his list for recruits.
Edward played along with Marcus, giving him a dazzling smile, all teeth. He squeezed my hand again urgently, mimicking my distress secretly. “Yes, we are so looking forward to it.” Marcus nodded and then glared at me, “And you, Isabella? Are you not happy to reunite your spawn?”
Venom pooled into my mouth as I thought of all the different ways I could slaughter him, piece by piece. I swallowed it back down my throat, convulsively. “Yes. I cannot wait.” I lied easily; there was no falter in my voice. I had learned how to lie incredibly well since I was dragged back to Volterra, when everything the Volturi said here were lies, or could be twisted in some way to become an insult. You had to speak clearly, if misunderstood; it would be the end of you. The only thing I could be relieved for is that blood no longer rushed to my cheeks at the first hint of deception to give me away.
“Wonderful.” Marcus said in a clipped tenor, clearly bored with this conversation now that the subject of his desire was past. He waved his hand, and Edward and I cleared the room. Edward swiftly closed the massive wooden door behind me before Marcus could see my demise. I slumped to the floor; hand on my head, eyes closed tightly. I heard Edward’s black cloak wisp around him as he crouched and took my hands in his.
“It will be alright. Renesmee is going to be fine.” He whispered to me, too low for Marcus to hear in the other room. He freed a hand to stroke my hair reassuringly. “Jacob flew her far, far away. If they keep moving in an irregular pattern, it will be difficult for even Demetri to track them down.”
I nodded my head. Edward was right. Jacob was as fast as he was pig-headed; even out-running a determined vampire like Demetri. Then again, Renesmee would be clinging to his russet fur for dear life. Would that make him slower, with her weight on him? Renesmee’s body’s age was getting closer to sixteen everyday. She wasn’t a small, fragile girl anymore. Renesmee was an elegant and independent young woman. And even though Jacob said he wouldn’t propose to Renesmee until she was physically eighteen, I had a feeling they weren’t being responsible. I shook my head, disintegrating meaningless thoughts. I shouldn’t be concerned about that; I should be devastating over my daughter’s life.
My thoughts were heavy. I lifted myself up from the ground, miserable and stressed. My eyes pricked to what would have been human tears as I choked violent but hushed sobs into Edward’s chest. Edward rubbed my shoulders reassuringly as we made our way to our room to distress over our daughter. Renesmee.
Jacob’s POV
My muscles, bone and sinew worked together smoothly in a never-ending pattern of running. We traveled nonstop now, Renesmee and I. Together shattering thousands of miles behind us, seeing the most incredible sites of the world in all its wonder. I felt the warmth of Renesmee’s length against mine as I traveled –always slower, so I wouldn’t jostle her frame as she slept on my back, hands digging into my fur. My breaths came in rapid and uneasy; I had been running for three days. Falling to my haunches, I carefully slipped Renesmee onto a soft patch of grass, then phased to human form. Inaudibly, I came to her and retrieved a set of clothes she kept in her backpack for me. I slipped on the cut-off jeans and t-shirt, and then lay in the grass beside her, marveling at the beauty of Renesmee’s face.
Renesmee is the holder to my world, bouncing it around in her lovely hands. She had the keys to all the locks in my mind. She asks she gets. No question. My gravitational pull I had towards her was almost crushing. Whenever I left her to scout out a suspicious area, or go to take a piss, I was anxious enough to rip a nearby tree out of the ground. When I returned to her and I saw the beaming smile at my approach, it always replaced the last happiest moment of my life.
Natural as breathing, my hand reached out to stroke her red-brown curls. I twirled them absent-minded through her hair as a hint of a smile grew on her lips. Renesmee resembled Edward and Bella’s features in a way I could hardly imagine. She had Edward’s beautifully crafted nose, a defined but extremely feminine slope of her chin, and the pale skin that glowed lumoniously in the moonlight. Her grace was other-worldly. Renesmee had Bella’s heart shaped face, chocolate eyes, and stunning thick hair. Even though I couldn’t see the soft brown orbs from behind her lids, I distracted myself by the length of her eyelashes, and the elegant curvature of her eyebrows. Her humor brought out the intriguing character within. Renesmee made me laugh in my darkest days. She was the most precious thing in any world.
Renesmee delicately shivered from the cold, and I smacked myself for not noticing the temperature. A reached over silently to unzip her backpack and took out a bedroll and blanket. I set it down on the driest patched of earth I could find and then slid Renesmee carefully into it. Pulling the blanket on top of her, she mumbled my name in her sleep and I kissed her forehead in response. I made sure Renesmee was fast asleep before I finally laid down to rest.
The sound of Renesmee’s voice singing wordlessly awoke me from a dreamless sleep. I jolted awake and rubbed my eyes. They blurred slightly then receded into normal to a landscape that stole my breath. The mountains were rigid, with snow capping the tops. Trees were scattered everywhere in seemingly random places, but were joined together in their beauty. The pine needles where a luscious dark green that contrasted with the dark brown tree bark. I dully remember the scent of pure mountain air from last night, but how had I not seen this? Why hadn’t I noticed this before?
Then I considered my eyes had been glued to Renesmee. Even the stunning loveliness of the
“Why are you staring at me?” Renesmee asked, cocking her head to the side. A veil of hair fell off her shoulders and hit the sunlight as she did so, causing it to glimmer more than it already did. I fought inappropriate thoughts. Renesmee was fifteen. I am a nineteen year old man. It isn’t legal for one, and she didn’t think of me that way… yet. One of the hard parts of imprinting was to wait. I wanted to love her in every way possible, but for now I was her best friend. I was insanely happy being her friend, don’t get me wrong, but I was still a man.
“Nothing.” I told her, stretching my sore muscles and utterly starving. I twisted my neck around and she handed my some dry beef jerky that I swallowed ravenously. We always had to carry our food and shelter around. It was dangerous to stay in one place, ever since Marcus took over the Volturi and took Renesmee’s parents and her favorite aunt down with him. Renesmee was still messed up about it. She missed her family dearly and was terrified for their well-being. Every night she muttered their names, spoke her desires to be held by her mother again, to listen to her father’s wonderful music he wrote just for her. Edward’s last words to me before he and Bella were forced into the Volturi were to keep his daughter safe, get her out of civilization before it got bad. Move in irregular patterns, keep running at all costs. I had no idea why, and it seemed outrageous. Irregular patterns? Why? I was sick of doubling back over and over, in a zig-zag line that stretched throughout the continent. But was Renesmee’s father. If she trusted him with her life, then so did I.
I knew through Seth and Leah’s mind whenever in wolf form how things were going back down in Forks and La Push. People were fighting each other for food and water like cavemen; they hunkered down in their houses to keep from the rising violence outside. Large cities were worse; safety was not an option there. The only people who chose to stay in places like
How had things gotten this bad?
End of Chapter One
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